20 Powerful Quotes to Help Minimize Conflict and Drama

The holidays can be a lot of fun, but let’s face it, they can sometimes be stressful, particularly if you spend them with family. Surrounded by multiple generations of people, many with different perspectives and beliefs, it’s easy to feel triggered or annoyed.

Then there are the challenges associated with going home, whether that means visiting a physical location or returning to the (possibly unhealthy) mental space you occupied as a kid.

And if you do fall into old landmines, it’s all the more frustrating because holidays come but once a year, and they’re supposed to be joyful, right?

If you anticipate today might be fraught with conflict or drama, take a few minutes to reflect on the following quotes (including a couple of my own). Perhaps something here might help you create a little peace—for yourself and the people around you.

20 Quotes for a Drama-Free Holiday

1. “The people who trigger us to feel negative emotions are messengers. They are messengers for the unhealed parts of ourselves.” ~Teal Swan

2. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

7. “No response is a response. And a powerful one. Remember that.” ~Unknown

8. “When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control how you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power lies.” ~Unknown

9. “Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz

10. “Give people the benefit of the doubt, over and over again, and do the same for yourself. Believe that you’re trying and that they’re trying. See the good in others, so it brings out the best in you.” ~Liz Newman

11. “We don’t have to agree on everything to be kind to one another.” ~Unknown

12. “Be the person who breaks the cycle. If you were judged, choose understanding. If you were rejected, choose acceptance. If you were shamed, choose compassion. Be the person you needed when you were hurting, not the person who hurt you. Vow to be better than what broke you—to heal instead of becoming bitter so you can act from your heart, not your pain.” ~Lori Deschene

13. “Life becomes easier when you let go of the little things that bother you and focus on what makes you feel good.” ~Unknown

14. “You don’t need anyone’s affection or approval in order to be good enough. When someone rejects or abandons or judges you, it isn’t actually about you. It’s about them and their own insecurities, limitations, and needs, and you don’t have to internalize that.” ~Daniell Koepke

15. “Think before you speak, and don’t say everything you think.” ~Alexander Lebed

16. “Most disagreements are caused by different perceptions that created different realities.” ~Unknown

17. “The true mark of maturity is when someone hurts you and you try to understand their situation instead of hurting them back.” ~Unknown

18. “Never waste your time trying to explain who you are to people who are committed to misunderstanding you.” ~Dream Hampton